Methods for diagnosing cancer and determining a susceptibility for developing cancer

ABSTRACT

A human mutY polypeptide and DNA (RNA) encoding such polypeptide and a procedure for producing such polypeptide by recombinant techniques is disclosed. Also disclosed are methods for utilizing such polypeptide for preventing and/or treating diseases associated with a mutation in this gene. Diagnostic assays for identifying mutations in nucleic acid sequence endcoding a polypeptide of the present invention and for detecting altered levels of the polypeptide of the present invention for detecting diseases, for example, cancer, area also disclosed.

This application is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/499,462, filed Feb. 7, 2000, which is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/277,960, filed Mar. 29, 1999 (now U.S. Pat. No. 6,051,222), which is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 08/813,574, filed Mar. 7, 1997 (now U.S. Pat. No. 6,013,473), which claims priority benefit to U.S. application Ser. No. 60/013,132, filed Mar. 11, 1996, the disclosures of all of which are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The GO system includes 7,8-dihydro-8-oxoguanine, the structure of the predominant tautomeric form of the GO lesion. Oxidative damage can lead to GO lesions in DNA. MutY removes the misincorporated adenine from the A/GO mispairs that result from error-prone replication past the GO lesion. Repair polymerases are much less error-prone during trans lesion synthesis and can lead to a C/GO pair. Oxidative damage can also lead to 8-oxo-dGTP. Inaccurate replication could result in the misincorporated of 8-oxo-dGTP opposite template A residues, leading to A/GO mispairs. MutY could be involved in the mutation process because it is active on the A/GO substrate and would remove the template A, leading to the AT→CG transversions that are characteristic of a MutT strain. The 8-oxo-dGTP could also be incorporated opposite template cytosires, resulting in a damaged C/GO pair that could be corrected by MutM.

This invention relates to newly identified polynucleotides, polypeptides encoded by such polynucleotides, the use of such polynucleotides and polypeptides, as well as the production of such polynucleotides and polypeptides. More particularly, the polypeptide of the present invention has been putatively identified as a human homologue of the E. coli MutY gene, sometimes hereinafter referred to as “hMYH”.

Mismatches arise in DNA through DNA replication errors, through DNA recombination, and following exposure of DNA to deaminating or oxidating environments. Cells have a host of strategies that counter the threat to their genetic integrity from mismatched and chemically damaged base pairs (Friedberg, E C, DNA repair, W. H. Freeman, New York (1985)). With regard specifically to mismatch repair of replication errors, Escherichia coli and Salmanella typhimurium direct the repair to the unmethylated newly synthesized DNA strand by dam methylation at d(GATC) sequences, using the MutHLS systems (Clavery, J. P. and Lacks, S. A., Microbiol., Rev. 50:133-165 (1986); Modrich, P. Annu. Rev. Genet. 25:229-253 (1991); Radman, M. and R. Wagner, Annu. Rev. Genet. 20:523-528 (1986)). The very short patch pathway of E. coli is specific for a correction of T/G mismatches (a mismatch indicated by a slash) and is responsible for the correction of deaminated 5-methylcytosine (Jones, M., et al., Genetics, 115:605-610 (1987); Lieb, M., Mod. Gen. Genet. 181:118-125 (1983); Lieb, M., and D. Read, Genetics 114:1041-1060 (1986); Raposa, S. and N. S. Fox, Genetics 117:381-390 (1987)).

The E. coli MutY pathway corrects A/G and A/C mismatches, as well as adenines paired with 7,8-dihydro-8-oxo-deoxyguanine (8-oxoG or GO) (Au, K. G., et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 85:9163-9166 (1988); Lu, A. L. and D. Y. (Chang, Genetics, 118:593-600 (1988); Michaels, M. L., et al. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci USA, 89:7022-7025 (1992); Michaels, M. L, et al., Biochemistry, 31:10964-10968 (1192) Radicella, J. P., et al., Proc. Natl. Acad Sci. USA, 85:9674-9678 (1988); Su, S. -S., et al., J. Biol. Chem. 263:6829-6835 1988). The 39-kDa MutY protein shares some homology with E. coli endonuclease III and contains a [4Fe-4S]²⁺ cluster (Lu, A. -L., et al., 1994, Unpublished data; Michaels, M. L., et al., Nucleic Acids Res. 18:3841-3245 (1990); Tsai-Wu, J. -J., et al., Proc, Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 89:8779-8783 (1992); Tsai-Wu, J. -J., et al., J. Bacteriol. 173:1902-1910 (1991)). The MutY preparation of Tsai-Wu et al. (Tsai-Wu, J. -J., et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 89::3779-8783 (1192)) has both DNA N-glycosylase and apurinic or apyrimidinic (AP) endonuclease activities, whereas those purified by Au et al. )Au K. G., et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 86:8877-8881 (1989), and Michaels et al. (Michaels M. L., et al. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 89:7022-7025 (1992); Michaels, M. L., et al., Biochemistry, 31:10964-10968 (1992) possess only the glycosylase activity. DNA glycosylase specifically excises the mispaired adenine from the mismatch and the AP endonuclease cleaves the first phosphodiester bond 3′ to the resultant AP site (Au K. G., et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 86:8877-3881 (1989); Tsai-Wu, J. -J, et al., Proc, Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 89:8779-8783 (1992).

Repair by the MutY pathway involves a snort repair tract and DNA polymerase I (Radiceila, J. P., et al., J. Bacteriol., 175:7732-7736 (1993); Tsai-Wu, J. -J., and A. -L. Lu, Mol. Gen. Genet. 244:444-450 (1994)).

The mismatch repair strategy detailed above has been evolutionarily conserved. Genetic analysis suggests that Saccharomyces crevisiae has a repair system analogous to the bacterial dam methylation-dependent pathway (Bishop, D. K., et al., Nature (London) 243:362-364 (1987); Reenan, R. A. and R. D. Kolodner, Genetics, 132:963-973 (1992); Reenan, R. A. and R. D. Kolodner, Genetics, 132:975-985 (1992); Williamson, M., et al., Genetics, 110:609-646 (1985)). This pathway is functionally homologous to the E. coli very sort patch pathway for the correction of deaminated 5-methylcytosine.

Two mutator genes in E. coli, the mutY and the mutM genes (Cabrera et al., J. Bacteriol., 170:5405-5407 (1988); and Nghiem, Y., et al., PNAS, USA, 85:9163-9166 (1988)) have been described, which work together to prevent mutations from certain types of oxidative damage, dealing in particular with the oxidized guanine lesson, 8-oxodGuanine (Michaels et al., PNAS, USA, 89:7022-7025 (1992). In Michaels, M. L, and Miller; J. H., J. Bacteriol., 174:6321-6325 (1992) is a summary of the concerted action of these two enzymes, both of which are glycosylases. The MutM protein removes 8-oxodG from the DNA, and the resulting AP site is repaired to restore the G:C base pair. Some lesions are not repaired before replication, which results in 50% insertion of an A across from the 8-oxodG, which carry lead to a G:C to T:A transversion at the next round of replication. However, the MutY protein removes the A across from 8-oxodG and repair synthesis restore a C most of the time, allowing the MutM protein another opportunity to repair the lesion. In accordance with this, mutators lacking either the MutM or MutY protein have an increase specifically in the G:C to T:A transversion (Cabrera et a;., Id., (1988), and Nghiem, Y., et al., Id. (1988)), and cells lacking both enzymes have an enormous increase in this base substitution (Michaels et al., Id. (1992). A third protein, the product of the mutT gene, prevents the incorporation of 8-oxodGTP by hydrolyzing the oxidized triohosphate back to the monophosphate (Maki, H., and Sekiguchi M., Nature, 355:273-275 (1992)), preventing A:T to C:G transversion.

Accordingly, there exists a need in the art or identification and characterization of genes and proteins which modulate the human cellular mutation rate, for use as, among other things, markers in cancer and diseases associated with DNA repair. In particular, there is a need for isolating and characterizing human mismatch repair genes and proteins, which are essential to proper development and health of tissues and organs, such as the colon, and which can, among other things, play a role in preventing, ameliorating, diagnosing or correcting dysfunctions or disease, particularly cancer, and most particularly colon cancer, such as, for example, HNPCC (non-polyposis colon cancer).

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a novel mature polypeptide, as well as biologically active and diagnostically or therapeutically useful fragments, analogs and derivatives thereof. The polypeptide of the present invention is of human origin.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there are provided isolated nucleic acid molecules encoding a polypeptide of the present invention including mNAs, cDNAs, genomic DNAs as well as analogs and biologically active and diagnostically or therapeutically useful fragments thereof.

In accordance with yet a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a process for producing such polypeptide by recombinant techniques comprising culturing recombinant prokarotic and/or eukaryotic host cells, containing a nucleic acid sequence encoding a polypeptide of the present invention, under conditions promoting expression of said protein and subsequent recovery of said protein.

In accordance with yet a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a process for utilizing such polypeptide, or polynucleotide encoding such polypeptide, for therapeutic purposes, for example, to repair oxidative damage to DNA and prevent mutations from oxidative lesions, treat genetic diseases related to a mutated hMYH gene, for example, xerederma pigmentosum and neoplasia, and to diagnose an abnormal transformation of cells, particularly cancer, and most particularly colon cancer such as for example HNPCC, and/or to diagnose a susceptibility to abnormal transformation or cells, particularly cancer, and most particularly colon cancer, such as for example HNPCC.

In accordance with yet a further aspect of the present invention, there are provided antibodies against such polypeptides.

In accordance with yet a further aspect of the present invention, there is also provided nucleic acid probes comprising nucleic acid molecules of sufficient length to specifically hybridize to a nucleic acid sequence of the present invention.

In accordance with still another aspect of the present invention, there are provided diagnostic assays for detecting diseases or susceptibility to diseases related to mutations in the nucleic acid sequences encoding a polypeptide of the present invention. In accordance with a further aspect of the invention is a process for diagnosing a cancer comprising determining from a sample derived from a patient a decreased level of activity of polypeptide having the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2

In accordance with a further aspect of the invention is a process for diagnosing a cancer comprising determining from a sample derived from a patient a decreased level of expression of a gene encoding a polypeptide having the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2.

In accordance with a further aspect of the invention is a process for diagnosing a cancer comprising determining from a sample derived from a patient a decreased level of activity of polypeptide having the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 9.

In accordance with a further aspect of the invention is a process for diagnosing a cancer comprising determining from a sample derived from a patient a decreased level of expression of a gene encoding a polynucleotide having the sequence of SEQ ID NO:9.

In accordance with yet a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a process for utilizing such polypeptides, or polynucleotides encoding such polypeptides, for in vitro purposes related to scientific research, for example, synthesis of DNA and manufacture of DNA vectors.

These and other aspects of the present invention should be apparent to those skilled in the art from the teachings herein.

The following drawings are illustrative of embodiments of the invention and are not meant to limit the scope of the invention as encompassed by the claims.

FIG. 1 is an illustration of the cDNA (SEQ ID NO:1) and corresponding deduced amino acid (SEQ ID NO:2) sequence of the polypeptide of the present invention. The nucleotide sequence of hMYH is shown with the numbering relative to the A of the ATG translation start site (+1). The amino acid sequence is shown below in single letter code and is also numbered in the margin.

FIG. 2 is an amino acid sequence comparison between the polypeptide of the present invention (top line) (SEQ ID NO:2) and E. coli MutY protein (bottom line) (SEQ ID NO:9).

In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an isolated nucleic acid (polynucleotide) which encodes for the mature polypeptide having the deduced amino acid sequence of FIG. 1 (SEQ ID NO:2).

The polynucleotide of this invention may be obtained from numerous tissues of the human body, including brain and testes. The polynucleotide of this invention was discovered in a cDNA library derived from a human cerebellum. The cDNA clone for hMYH was deposited on Dec. 20, 1995 at the American Type Culture Collection, Patent Depository, 10801 University Boulevard, Manassas, Va. 20110-2209, and given accession number 97389. The hMYH gene contains 15 introns, and is 7.1 kb long. The 16 exons encode a nuclear protein of 535 amino acids that displays 41% identity to the E. coli MutY protein, which provides an important function in the repair of oxidative damaged DNA, and helps to prevent mutations from oxidative lesions. The hMYH gene maps on the short arm of chromosome 1, between p32.1 and p34.3. There is extensive homology between the hMYH protein and the E. coli MutY protein with extensive homology near the beginning of the E. coli protein, which is characterized by a string of 14 identical amino acids.

The polynucleotide of the present invention may be in the form of RNA or in the form of DNA, which DNA includes cDNA, genomic DNA, and synthetic DNA. The DNA may be double-stranded or single-stranded, and if single stranded may be the coding strand or non-coding (anti-sense strand. The coding sequence which encodes the mature polypeptide fay be identical to the coding sequence shown in FIG. 1 (SEQ ID NO:1) or may be a different coding sequence which coding sequence, as a result of the redundancy or degeneracy of the genetic code, encodes the same mature polypeptide as the DNA of FIG. 1 (SEQ ID NO: 1).

The polynucleotide which encodes for the mature polypeptide of FIG. 1 (SEQ ID NO:2) may include, but is not limited to: only the coding sequence for the mature polypeptide; the coding sequence for the mature polypeptide and additional coding sequence such as a leader or secretory sequence or a protein sequence; the coding sequence for the mature polypeptide (and optionally additional coding sequence) and non-coding sequence, such as introns or non-coding sequence 5′ and/or 3′ of the coding sequence for the mature polypeptide.

Thus, the term “polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide” encompasses a polynucleotide which includes only coding sequence for the polypeptide as well as a polynucleotide which includes additional coding and/or non-coding sequence.

The present invention further relates to variants of the hereinabove described polynucleotides which encode for fragments, analogs and derivatives of the polypeptide having the deduced amino acid sequence of FIG. 1 (SEQ ID NO:2). The variant of the polynucleotide may be a naturally occurring allelic variant of the polynucleotide or a non-naturally occurring variant of the polynucleotide.

Thus, the present invention includes polynucleotides encoding the same mature polypeptide as shown in FIG. 1 (SEQ ID NO:2) as well as variants of such polynucleotides which variants encode for a fragment, derivative or analog of the polypeptide of FIG. 1 (SEQ ID NO:2). Such nucleotide variants include deletion variants, substitution variants and addition or insertion variants. Certain specific variants, among other, are provided by the present invention, such as, an isolated nucleic acid having a cytosine (C) at position 366 anchor position 729 of the nucleotide sequence of FIG. 1 (SEQ ID NO: I). Certain other specific variants, among other, are provided by the present invention, such as, an isolated nucleic acid having a cytosine (C) at position 1095 of the nucleotide sequence of FIG. 1 (SEQ ID NO: 1). Further specific variants include, but are not limited to, an isolated polypeptide sequence having a glutamine (Q) at position 365 of true amino acid sequence in FIG. 1 (SEQ ID NO: 2).

As hereinabove indicated, the polynucleotide may have a coding sequence which is a naturally occurring allelic variant of the coding sequence shown in FIG. 1 (SEQ ID NO: 1). As known in the art, an allelic valiant is an alternate form of a polynucleotide sequence which may have a substitution, deletion or addition of one or more nucleotides, which does not substantially alter the function of the encoded polypeptide.

The present invention also includes polynucleotides, wherein the coding sequence for the mature polypeptide may be fused in the same reading frame to a polynucleotide sequence which aids in expression and secretion of a polypeptide from a host cell, for example, a leader sequence which functions as a secretory sequence for controlling transport of a polypeptide from the cell. Thus, for example, the polynucleotide of the present invention may encode for a mature protein, or for a protein having a prosequence or for a protein having both a prosequence and a presequence (leader sequence).

The polynucleotides of the present invention may also have the coding sequence fused in frame to a marker sequence which allows for purification of the polypeptide of the present invention. The marker sequence may be a hexa-histidine tag supplied by a pQE vector to provide for purification of the mature polypeptide fused to the marker in the case of a bacterial host, or, for example, the marker sequence may be a hemaglutinin (HA) tag when a mammalian host, e.g. COS-7 cells, is used. The HA tag corresponds to an epitope derived from the influenza hemaglutinin protein (Wilson, I., et al., Cell, 37:767 (1984)).

The term “gene” means the segment of DNA involved in producing a polypeptide chain; it includes regions preceding and following the coding region (leader and trailer) as well as intervening sequences (introns) between individual coding segments (exons).

Fragments of the full length gene of the present invention may be used as a hybridization probe for a cDNA library to isolate the full length cDNA and to isolate other cDNAs which have a high sequence similarity to the gene or similar biological activity. Probes of this type have at least 15 bases, preferably 30 bases and most preferably 50 or more bases. The probe may also be used to identify a cDNA clone corresponding to a full length transcript and a genomic clone or clones that contain the complete gene including regulatory and promotor regions, exons, and introns. An example of a screen comprises isolating the coding region of the gene by using the known DNA sequence to synthesize an oligonucleotide probe. Labeled oligonucleotides having a sequence complementary to that of the gene of the present invention are used to screen a library of human cDNA, genomic DNA or mRNA to determine which members of the library the probe hybridizes to.

The present invention further relates to polynucleotides which hybridize to the hereinabove-described sequences if there is at least 70%, preferably at least 90%, and more preferably at least 95% identity between the sequences. The present invention particularly relates to polynucleotides which hybridize under stringent conditions to the hereinabove-described polynucleotides. As herein used, the term “stringent conditions” means hybridization will occur only if there is at least 95% and preferably at least 97% identity between the sequences. The polynucleotides which hybridize to the hereinabove described polynucleotides in a preferred embodiment encode polypeptides which either retain substantially the same biological function or activity as the mature polypeptide encoded by the cDNAs of FIG. 1 (SE(Q ID NO: 1).

Alternatively, the polynucleotide may have at least 15 bases, preferably at least 30 bases, and more preferably at least 50 bases which hybridize to a polynucleotide of the present invention and which has an identity thereto, as hereinabove described, and which may or may not retain activity. For example, such polynucleotides may be employed as probes for the polynucleotide of SEQ ID NO: 1, for example, for recovery of the polynucleotide or as a diagnostic probe or as a PCR primer.

Thus, the present invention is directed to polynucleotides having at least a 70% identity, preferably at least 90% and more preferably least a 95% identity to a polynucleotide which encodes the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO:2 and polynucleotides complementary thereto as well as portions thereof, which portions have at least 15 consecutive bases, preferably 30 consecutive bases and most preferably at least 50 consecutive buses and to polypeptides encoded by such polynucleotides.

The present invention further relates to a polypeptide which has the deduced amino acid sequence of FIG. 1 (SEQ ID NO:2), as well as fragments, analogs and derivatives of such polypeptide.

The terms “fragment,” “derivative” and “analog” when referring to the polypeptide of FIG. 1 (SEQ ID NO:2) means a polypeptide which retains essentially the same biological function or activity as such polypeptide. Thus, an analog include; a proprotein which can be activated by cleavage of the proprotein portion to produce an active mature polypeptide.

The polypeptide of the present invention may be a recombinant polypeptide, a natural polypeptide or a synthetic polypeptide, preferably a recombinant polypeptide.

The fragment, derivative or analog of the polypeptide of FIG. 1 (SEQ ID NO:2) may be (i) one in which one or more of the amino acid residues are substituted with a conserved or non-conserved amino acid residue (preferably a conserved amino acid residue) and such substituted amino acid residue may or may not be one encoded by the genetic code, or (ii) one in which one or more of the amino acid residue includes a substituent group, or (iii) one in which the mature polypeptide is fused with another compound, such as a compound to increase the half-life of the polypeptide (for example, polyethylene glycol), or (iv) one in which the additional amino acids are fused to the mature polypeptide, such as a leader or secretory sequence or a sequence which is employed for purification of the mature polypeptide or a proprotein sequence. Such fragments, derivatives and analogs are deemed to be within the scope of those skilled in the art from the teachings herein.

The polypeptides and polynucleotides of the present invention are preferably provided in an isolated form, and preferably are purified to homogeneity.

The term “isolated” means that the material is removed from, its original environment (e.g., the natural environment if it is naturally occurring). For example, a naturally-occurring polynucleotide or polypeptide present in a living animal is not isolated, but the same polynucleotide or polypeptide, separated from some or all or the coexisting materials in the natural system, is isolated. Such polynucleotides could be part of a vector and/or such polynucleotides or polypeptides could be part of a composition, and still be isolated in that such vector or composition is not part of its natural environment.

The polypeptides of the present invention include the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO:2 tin particular the mature polypeptide) as well as polypeptides which have at least 70% similarity (preferably at least 70% identity) to the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO:2 and more preferably at least 90% similarity (more preferably at least 90% identity) to the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO:2 and still more preferably at least 95% similarity (still more preferably at least 95% identity) to the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO:2 and also include portions of such polypeptides with such portion of the polypeptide generally containing at least 30 amino acids and more preferably at least 50 amino acids.

As known in the art “similarity” between two polypeptides is determined by comparing the amino acid sequence and its conserved amino acid substitutes of one polypeptide to the sequence of a second polypeptide. Moreover, also known in the art is “identity” which means the degree of sequence relatedness between two polypeptide or two polynucleotides sequences as determined by the identity of the match between two strings of such sequences. Both identity and similarity can be readily calculated. While there exist a number of methods to measure identity and similarity between two polynucleotide or polypeptide sequences, the terms “identity” and “similarity” are well known to skilled artisans (Carillo, H., and Lipman, D., SIAM J. Applied Math., 48:1073 (1988). Methods commonly employed to determine identity or similarity between two sequences include, but are not limited to disclosed in Guide to Huge Computers, Martin J. Bishop, ed., Academic Press, San Diego, 1994, and Carillo, H., and Lipman, D., SIAM J. Applied Math., 48:1073 (1988). Preferred methods to determine identity are designed to give the largest match between the two sequences tested. Methods to determine identity and similarity are codified in computer programs. Preferred computer program methods to determine identity and similarity between two sequences include, but are not limited to, BLASTP, BLASTN, FASTA.

Fragments or portions of the polypeptides of the present invention may be employed for producing the corresponding full-length polypeptide by peptide synthesis; therefore, the fragments may be employed as intermediates for producing the full-length polypeptides. Fragments or portions of the polynucleotides of the present, invention may be used to synthesize full-length polynucleotides of the present invention.

The present invention also relates to vectors which include polynucleotides of the present invention, host cells which are genetically engineered with vectors of the invention and the production of polypeptides of the invention by recombinant techniques.

Host cells are genetically engineered (transduced or transformed or transfected) with the vectors of this invention which may be, for example, a cloning vector or an expression vector. The vector may be, for example, in the form of a plasmid, a viral particle, a phage, etc. The engineered host cells can be cultured in conventional nutrient media modified as appropriate for activating promoters, selecting transformants or amplifying the genes of the present invention. The culture conditions, such as temperature, pH and the like, are those previously used with the host cell selected for expression, and will be apparent to the ordinarily skilled artisan.

The polynucleotides of the present invention may be employed for producing polypeptides by recombinant techniques. Thus, for example, the polynucleotide may be included in any one of a variety of expression vectors or expressing a polypeptide Such vectors include chromosomal, nonchromosomal and synthetic DNA sequences, e.g., derivatives of SV40; bacterial plasmids, phage DNA; baculovirus; least plascmids; vectors derived from combinations of plascmids and phage DNA, viral DNA such as vaccinia, adenovirus, fowl pox virus, and pseudorabies. However, any other vector may be used as long as it is replicable and viable in the host.

The appropriate DNA sequence may be inserted into the vector by a variety of procedures. In general, the DNA sequence is inserted into an appropriate restriction endonuclease site(s) by procedures known in the art. Such procedures and others are deemed to be within the scope of those skilled in the art.

The DNA sequence in the expression vector is operatively linked to an appropriate expression control sequence(s) (promoter) to direct mRNA synthesis. As representative examples of such promoters, there may be mentioned: LTR or SV40 promoter, the E. coli. lac or trp, the phage lambda P_(L) promoter and other promoters known to control expression of genes in prokaryotic or eukaryotic cells or their viruses. The expression vector also contains a ribosome binding site for translation initiation and a transcription terminator. The vector may also include appropriate sequences for amplifying expression.

In addition, the expression vectors preferably contain one or more selectable marker genes to provide a phenotypic trait for selection of transformed host cells such as dihydrofolate reductase or neomycin resistance for eukaryotic cell culture, or such as tetracycline or ampicillin resistance in E. coli.

The vector containing the appropriate DNA sequence as hereinabove described, as well as an appropriate promoter or control sequence, may be employed to transform an appropriate host to permit the host to express the protein.

As representative examples of appropriate hosts, there may be mentioned:

bacterial cells, such as E. coli, Streptomyces, Salmonella typhimurium; fungal cells, such as yeast; insect cells such as Drosophila S2 and Spodoptera Sf9; animal cells such as CHO, COS or Bowes melanoma; adenoviruses; plant cells, etc. The selection of an appropriate hose is deemed to be within the scope of those skilled in the art from the teaching's herein

More particularly, the present invention also includes recombinant constructs comprising one or more or the sequences as broadly described above. The constructs comprise a vector, such as a plasmid or viral vector, into which a sequence of the invention has been inserted, in a forward or reverse orientation. In a preferred aspect of this embodiment, the construct further comprises regulatory sequences, including, for example, a promoter, operably linked to the sequence. Large numbers of suitable vectors and promoters are known to those of skill in the art, and are commercially available. The following vectors are provided by way of example; Bacterial: pQE70, pQE60, pQE-9 (Qiagen), pBS, pD10, phagescript, psiX174, pBluescript SK, pBSKS, pNH8A, pNH16a, pNH19A, pNH46A (Stratagene); pTRC99a, pKK223-3, pKK223-3, pDR540, pRIT5 (Pharmacia); Eukaryotic: pWLNEO, pSV2CAT, pOG44, pXT1, pSG (Stratagene) pSVK3, pBPV, pMSG, pSVL (Pharmacia). However, any other plasmid or vector may be used as long as they are replicable and viable in the host.

Promoter regions can be selected from any desired gene using CAT (chloramphenicol transferase) vectors or other vectors with selectable markers. Two appropriate vectors are pKK232-8 and pCM7. Particular named bacterial promoters include lacI, lacZ, T3, T7, gpt, lambda P_(R), P_(L) and trp. Eukaryotic promoters include CMV immediate early, HSV thymidine kinase, early and late SV40, LTRs from retrovirus, and mouse metallothionein-I. Selection of the appropriate vector and promoter is well within the level of ordinary skill in the art.

In a further embodiment, the present invention relates to host cells containing the above-described constructs. The host cell can be a higher eukaryotic cell, such as a mammalian cell, or a lower eukaryotic cell, such as a yeast cell, or the host cell can be a prokaryotic cell, such as a bacterial cell. Introduction of the construct into the host cell can be effected by calcium phosphate transfection, DEAE-Dextran mediated transfection, or electroporation (Davis, L., Dibner, M., Battery, I., Basic Methods in Molecular Biology, ( 1986)).

The constructs in host cells can be used in a conventional manner to produce the gene product encoded by the recombinant sequence. Alternatively, the polypeptides or the invention can be synthetically produced by conventional peptide synthesizers.

Mature proteins can be expressed in mammalian cells, yeast, bacteria, or other cells under the control of appropriate promoters. Cell-free translation systems can also be employed to produce such proteins using RNAs derived from the DNA constructs of the present invention. Appropriate cloning and expression vectors for use with prokaryotic and eukaryotic hosts are described by Sambrook, et al., Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual, Second Edition, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., (1989), the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

Transcription of the DNA encoding the polypeptides of the present invention by higher eukaryotes is increased by inserting an enhancer sequence into the vector. Enhancers are cis-acting elements or DNA, usually about from 10 to 300 bp that act on a promoter to increase it transcription. Examples include the SV40 enhancer on the late side of the replication origin bp 100 to 270, a cytomegalovirus early promoter enhancer, the polyoma enhancer on the late side of the replication origin, and adenovirus enhancers.

Generally, recombinant expression vectors will include origins of replication and selectable markers permitting transformation of the host cell, e.g., the ampicillin resistance gene of E. coli and S. cerevisiae TRP1 gene, and a promoter derived from a highly-expressed gene to direct transcription of a downstream structural sequence. Such promoters can be derived from operons encoding glycolytic enzymes such as 3-phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK), α-factor, acid phosphatase, or heat shock proteins, among others. The heterologous structural sequence is assembled in appropriate phase with translation initiation and termination sequences, and preferably, a leader sequence capable of directing secretion of translated protein into the periplasmic space or extracellular medium. Optionally, the heterologous sequence can encode a fusion protein including an N-terminal identification peptide impairing desired characteristics, e.g., stabilization or simplified purification of expressed recombinant product.

Useful expression vectors for bacterial use are constructed by inserting a structural DNA sequence encoding a desired protein together with suitable translation initiation and termination signals in operable reading phase with a functional promoter. The vector will comprise one or more phenotypic selectable markers and an origin of replication to ensure maintenance of the vector and to, if desirable, provide amplification within the host. Suitable prokaryotic hosts for transformation include E. coli, Bacillus subtilis, Salmonella typhimurium and various species within the genera Pseudomonas, Streptomyces, and Staphylococcus, although others may also be employed as a matter of choice.

As a representative but nonlimiting example, useful expression vectors for bacterial use can comprise a selectable marker and bacterial origin of replication derived from commercially available plasmids comprising genetic elements of the well known cloning vector pBR322 (ATCC 37017). Such commercial vectors include, for example, pKK223-3 (Pharmacia Fine Chemicals, Uppsala, Sweden) and GEM1 (Promega Biotec, Madison, Wis., USA). These pBR322 “backbone” sections are combined with an appropriate promoter and the structural sequence to be expressed.

Following transformation of a suitable host strain and growth of the host strain to an appropriate cell density, the selected promoter is induced by appropriate means (e.g., temperature shift or chemical induction) and cells are cultured for an additional period.

Cells are typically harvested by centrifugation, disrupted by physical or chemical means, and the resulting crude extract retained for further purification.

Microbial cells employed in expression of proteins can be disrupted by any convenient method, including freeze-thaw cycling, sonication, mechanical disruption, or use of cell lysing agents, such methods are well known to those skilled in the art.

Various mammalian cell culture systems can also be employed to express recombinant protein. Examples of mammalian expression systems include the COS-7 lines of monkey kidney fibroblasts, described of Gluzman, Cell, 23:175 (1981), and other cell lines capable of expressing a compatible vector, for example the C127, 3T3, CHO, HeLa and BHK cell lines. Mammalian expression sectors will comprise an origin of replication, a suitable promotor and enhancer, and also any necessary ribosome binding sites, polyadenylation site, splice donor and acceptor sites, transcriptional termination sequences, and 5′ flanking nontranscribed sequences. DNA sequences derived from the SV40 splice, and polyadenylation sites may be used to provide the required nontranscribed genetic elements.

The polypeptide can be recovered and purified from recombinant cell cultures by methods including ammonium sulfate or ethanol precipitation, acid extraction, anion or cation exchange chromatography, phosphocellulose chromatography, hydrophobic interaction chromatography, affinity chromatography, hydroxylapatite chromatography and lectin chromatography. Protein refolding steps car, be used, as necessary, in completing configuration of the mature protein. Finally, high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) can be employed for final purification steps.

The polypeptides of the present invention may be a naturally purified product, or a product of chemical synthetic procedures, or produced by recombinant techniques from a prokaryotic or eukaryotic host (for example, by bacterial, yeast, higher plant, insect and mammalian cells in culture). Depending upon the host employed in a recombinant production procedure, the polypeptides of the present invention may be glycosylated or may be non-glycosylated. Polypeptides of the invention may also include an initial methionine amino acid residue.

The fragments, analogs and derivatives of the polypeptides of the present invention may be assayed for determination of mismatch-nicking activity and glycosylase activity. As an example of such an assay, protein samples are incubated with 1.8 fmol of either a 5′-end-labeled 116-mer, a 3′-end-labeled 120-mer, or a 3′-end-labeled 20-mer duplex DNA containing mismatches (see Yeh, Y. -C., et al., 1991 J. Bio. Chem. 266:6480-6486); (Roelen, H.C.P.F., et al., 1991, Nucleic Acids Res. 19:4361-4369 in a 20 μl reaction mixture containing 10 mM Tris—HCl (pH 7.6), 5μM ZnCl₂, 0.5 mM DTT, 0.5 mM EDTA, and 1.5% glycerol. Following a 2 hour incubation at 37° C., the reaction products are lyophilizid and dissolved in a solution containing 3 μl of 90% (vol/vol) formamide, 10 mM EDTA, 0.1% (wt/volt/xylene cyanol, and 0.1% (wt/vol) bromophenol blue. After heating at 50° C. for 3 minutes, DNA samples are analyzed on 8% polyacrylamide-8.3 M urea DNA sequencing gels (Maxam, A. M, and W. Gilbert, 1980, Methods Enzymol., 65:499-560), and the gel was then autoradiographed. The DNA glycosylase activity was monitored by adding piperidine, after the enzyme incubation, to a final concentration of 1 M. After 30 minutes of incubation at 90° C, the reaction products are analyzed as described above.

An Enzyme binding assay may also be performed where protein-DNA complexes are analyzed on 4% polyacrylamide gels in 50 mM Tris-borate (pH 8.3) and 1 mM EDTA. Protein samples are incubated with 3′-end-labeled 20-bp oligonucleotides as in the nicking assay, except 20 ng or poly(dI-dC) is added to each reaction mixture. Bovine serine albumin (1 μg) is added as indicated to the binding, assay. For the binding competition assay, in addition to the 1.8 fmol of labeled 20-mer substrates, unlabeled 19-mer DNAs containing A/G, A/GO, or C G pairings are added in excess of up to 180 fmol.

The invention provides a process for diagnosing a disease, particularly cancer, comprising determining from a sample derived from a patient a decreased level of activity of polypeptide having the sequence of FIG. 1 (SEQ ID NO: 2). Decreased activity may be readily measured by one skilled in the art, for example determining the presence of an amino acid variation from the the sequence in FIG. 1 (SEQ ID NO: 2) followed by using the aforementioned enzyme binding assay or by measurement mismatch-nicking activity and glycosylase activity. The invention also provides a process for diagnosing a cancer comprising determining from a sample derived from a patient a decreased level of expression of polypeptide having the sequence of FIG. 1 (SEQ ID NO: 2). Decreased protein expression can be measured using, on known quantities of protein, the aforementioned enzyme binding assay or by measurement mismatch-nicking activity and glycosylase activity and comparing these activities to known quantities of non-variant hMYH polypeptide.

The hMYH polypeptides may also be employed in accordance with the present invention by expression of such polypeptides in vivo, which is often referred to as “gene therapy.”

Thus, for example, cells from a patient may be engineered with a polynucleotide (DNA or RNA) encoding a polypeptide ex vivo, with the engineered cells then being provided to a patient to be treated with the polypeptide. Such methods are well-known in the art and are apparent from the teachings herein. For example, cells may be engineered by the use of a retroviral plasmid vector containing RNA encoding a polypeptide of the present invention.

Similarly, cells may be engineered in vivo for expression of a polypeptide in vivo by, for example, procedures known in the art. For example, a packaging cell is transduced with a retroviral plasmid vector containing RNA encoding a polypeptide of the present invention such that the packaging cell now produces infectious viral particles containing the gene of interest. These producer cells may be administered to a patient for engineering cells in vivo and expression of the polypeptide in vivo. These and other methods for administering a polypeptide of the present invention by such method should be apparent to those skilled in the art from the teachings of the present invention.

Retroviruses from which the retroviral plasmid vectors hereinabove mentioned may be derived include, but are not limited to, Moloney Murine Leukemia Virus, spleen necrosis virus, retroviruses such as Rous Sarcoma Virus, Harvey Sarcoma Virus, avian leukosis virus, gibbon ape leukemia virus, human immunodeficiency virus, adenovirus, Myeloproliferative Sarcoma Virus, and mammary tumor virus. In one embodiment, the retroviral plasmid vector is derived from Moloney Murine Leukemia Virus.

The vector includes one or more promoters. Suitable promoters which may be employed include, but are not limited to, the retroviral LTR; the SV40 promoter; and the human cytomegalovirus (CMV) promoter described in Miller, et al., Biotechniques, Vol. 7, No. 9, 980-990 (1989), or any other promoter (e.g., cellular promoters such as eukaryotic cellular promoters including, but not limited to, the histone, pol III, and β-actin promoters). Other viral promoters which may be employed include but are not limited to, adenovirus promoters, thymidine kinase (TK) promoters, and B19 parvovirus promoters. The selection of a suitable promoter will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the teachings contained herein.

The nucleic acid sequence encoding the polypeptide of the present invention is under the control of a suitable promoter. Suitable promoters which may be employed include, but are not limited to, adenoviral promoters, such as the adenoviral major late promoter; or hetorologous promoters, such as the cytomegalovirus (CMV) promoter; the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) promoter; inducible promoters, such as the MMT promoter, the metallothionein promoter; heat shock promoters; the albumin promoter; the ApoAI promoter; human globin promoters; viral thymidine kinase promoters, such as the Herpes Simplex thymidine kinase promoter; retroviral LTRs (including the modified retroviral LTRs hereinabove described); the β-actin promoter; and human growth hormone promoters. The promoter also may be the native promoter which controls the gene encoding the polypeptide.

The retroviral plasmid vector is employed to transducer packaging cell lines to form producer cell lines. Examples of packaging cells which may be transfected include, but are not limited to, the PE501, PA317, ψ-2, ψ-AM, PA12, T19-14X, VT-19-17-H2, ψCRE, ψCRIP, GP+E-86, GP+envAm12, and DAN cell lines as described in Miller, Human Gene Therapy, Vol. 1, pgs. 5-14 (1990), which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. The vector may transduce the packaging cells through any means known in the art. Such means include, but are not-limited to, electroporation, the use of liposomes, and CaPO₄ precipitation. In one alterative, the retroviral plasmid vector may be encapsulated into a liposome, or coupled to a lipid, and then administered to a host.

The producer cell line generates infectious retroviral vector particles which include the nucleic acid sequence(s) encoding the polypeptides. Such retroviral vector particles then may be employed, to transduce eukaryotic cells, either in vitro or in vivo. The transduced eukaryotic cells will express the nucleic acid sequence(s) encoding the polypeptide. Eukaryotic cells which may be transduced include, but are not limited to, embryonic stem cells, embryonic carcinoma cells, as well as hematopoletic stem cells, hepatocytes, fibroblasts, myoblasts, keratinocytes, endothelial cells, and bronchial epithelial cells.

Once the hMYH gene is being expressed intracellularly, it may be employed to repair DNA mismatches and therefore, prevent cells from uncontrolled growth and neoplasia such as occurs in cancer and tumors.

The hMYH gene and gene product of the present invention may be employed to treat patients who have a defect in the hMYH gene. Among the disorders which may be treated in such cases is cancer, and most particularly colon cancer, such as for example HNPCC, as well as xerederma pigmentosum.

hMYH may also be employed to repair oxidative damage to and oxidation of DNA and prevent mutations from oxidative lesions and other modifications of DNA that can be repaired by hMYH. Skilled artisans will be able to use the DNA repair assays of the invention to determine which defects and/or modifications of DNA can be repaired by hMYH.

In accordance with a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a process for determining susceptibility to cancer, and particularly colon cancer, and most particularly HNPCC. Thus, a mutation in hMYH indicates a susceptibility to cancer, and the nucleic acid sequences described above may be employed in an assay far ascertaining such susceptibility. Thus, for example, the assay may be employed to determine a mutation in a human DNA repair protein as herein described, such as a deletion, truncation, insertion, frame shift, etc., with such mutation being indicative of a susceptibility to cancer.

A mutation may be ascertained for example by a DNA sequencing assay. Tissue samples, including but not limited to blood samples are obtained from a human patient. The samples are processed by methods known in the art to capture the RNA. First strand cDNA is synthesized from the RNA samples by adding an oligonucleotide primer consisting of polythymidine residues which hybridize to the polyadenosine stretch present on the mRNA's. Reverse transcriptase and deoxynucleotides are added to allow synthesis of the first strand cDNA. Primer sequences are synthesized based on the DNA sequence of the DNA repair protein of the invention. The primer, sequence is generally comprised of at least 15 consecutive bases, and may contain at least 30 or even 50 consecutive bases.

Individuals carrying mutations in the gene of the present invention may also be detected at the DNA level by a variety of techniques. Nucleic acids for diagnosis may be obtained from a patient's cells, including but not limited to blood, urine, saliva, tissue biopsy and autopsy material. The genomic DNA may be used directly for detection or may be amplified enzymatically by using PCR (Saiki et al., Nature, 324:163-166 (1986)) prior to analysis. RT-PCR can also be used to detect mutations. It is particularly preferred to used RT-PCR in conjunction with automated detection systems, such as, for example, GeneScan. RNA or EDNA may also be used for the same purpose, PCR or RT-PCR. As an example, PCR primers complementary to the nucleic acid encoding hMYH can be used to identify and analyze mutations. Examples of representative primers are shown below in Table 1. For example, deletions and insertions can be detected by a change in size of the amplified product in comparison to the normal genotype. Point mutations can be identified by hybridizing amplified DNA to radiolabeled RNA or alternatively, radiolabeled antisense DNA sequences. Perfectly matched sequences can be distinguished from mismatched duplexes by RNase A digestion or by differences in melting temperatures.

TABLE 1 Primers used for detection of mutations in hMYH gene SEQ ID NO: 1 5′ TCCTCTGAAGCTTGAGGAGCCTCTAGAACT 3′ 10 2 5′ TAGCTCCATGGCTGCTTGGTTGAAA 3′ 11 3 5′ GCCATCATGAGGAAGCCACGAGCAG 3′ 12 4 5′ TAGCTCCATGGCTGCTTGGTTGAAA 3′ 13 5 5′ TTGACCCGAAACTGCTGAATAG 3′ 14 6 5′ CAGTGGAGATGTGAGACCGAAAGAA 3′ 15 7 5′ CAGCCCGGCCAGGAGATTTCAACCA 3 16 8 5′ CAGTGGAGATGTGAGACCGAAAGAA 3′ 17 9 5′ CCCTCACTAAAGGGAACAAAAGCTGG 3′ 18

The above primers may be used for amplifying hMYH cDNA isolated from a sample derived from a patient. The invention also provides the primers of Table 1 with 1, 2, 3 or 4 nucleotides removed from the 5′ and/or the 3′ end. The primers may be used to amplify the gene isolated from the patient such that the gene may then be subject to various techniques for elucidation of the DNA sequence. In this way, mutations in the DNA sequence may be diagnosed.

Sequence differences between the reference gene and genes having mutations may be revealed by the direct DNA sequencing method. In addition, cloned DNA segments may be employed as probes to detect specific DNA segments. The sensitivity of this method is greatly enhanced when combined with PCR. For example, a sequencing primer is used with double-stranded PCR product or a single-stranded template molecule generated by a modified PCR. The sequence determination is performed by conventional procedures with radiolabeled nucleotide or by automatic sequencing procedures with fluorescent-tags.

Genetic testing based on DNA sequence differences may be achieved by detection of alteration in electrophoretic mobility of DNA fragments in gels with or without denaturing agents. Small sequence deletions and insertions can be visualized by high resolution gel electrophoresis. DNA fragments of different sequences may be distinguished on denaturing formamide gradient gels in which the mobilities of different DNA fragments are retarded in the gel at different positions according to their specific melting or partial melting temperatures (see, e.g., Myers et al., Science, 230:1242 (1935)).

Sequence changes at specific locations may also be revealed by nuclease protection assays, such as RNase and S1 protection or the chemical cleavage method (e.g., Cotton et l., PNAS, USA, 85 4397-4401 (1985)).

Thus, the detection of a specific DNA sequence and/or quantitation of the level of the sequence may be achieved by methods such as hybridization, RNase protection, chemical cleavage, direct DNA sequencing or the use of restriction enzymes, (e.g., Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphisms (RFLP)) and Southern blotting of genomic DNA. The invention provides a process for diagnosing, disease, particularly a cancer, and most particularly colon cancer, such as for example HNPCC, comprising determining from a sample derived from a patient a decreased level of expression of polynucleotide having the sequence of FIG. 1 (SEQ ID NO: 1). Decreased expression of polynucleotide can be measured using any on of the methods well known in the art for the quantitation of polynucleotides, such as, for example, PCR, RT-PCR, RNase protection, Northern blotting and other hybridization methods

In addition to more conventional gel-electrophoresis and DNA sequencing, mutations can also be detected by in situ analysis.

Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) of a cDNA clone to a metaphase chromosomal spread can be used to provide a precise chromosomal location.

As an example of how this was performed, hMYH DNA was digested and purified with QIAEX II DNA purification kit (QIAGEN, Inc., Chatsworth, Calif.) and ligated to Super Cos1 cosmid vector (STRATAGENE, La Jolla, Calif.) DNA was purified using Qiagen Plasmid Purification Kit (QIAGEN Inc., Chatsworth, Calif.) and 1 mg was labeled by nick translation in the presence of Biotin-dATP using BioNick Labeling Kit (GibcoBRL, Life Technologies Inc., Gaithersburg, Md.). Biotinilation was detected with GENE-TECT Detection System (CLONTECH Laboratories, Inc. Palo Alto, Calif.). In situ Hybridization was performed on slides using ONCOR Light Hybridization Kit (ONCOR, Gaithersburg, Md.) to detect single copy sequences on metaphase chromosomes. Peripheral blood of normal donors was cultured for three days in RPMI 1640 supplemented with 20% FCS, 3% PHA and penicillin/streptomycin, synchronized with 10⁻⁷ M methotrexate for 17 hours and washed twice with unsupplemented RPMI. Cells were incubated with 10⁻³ M thymidine for 7 hours. The cells were arrested in metaphase after 20 minutes incubation with colcemid (0.5 μg/ml) followed by hypotonic lysis in 75 mM KCl for 15 minutes at 37° C. Cell pellets were then spun out and Fixed in Carnoy's fixative (3:1 methanol/acetic acid).

Metaphase spreads were prepared by adding a drop of the suspension onto slides and aid dried. Hybridization was performed by adding 100 ng of probe suspended in 10 ml of hybridization mix (50% formamide, 2×SSC, 1% dextran sulfate) with blocking human placental DNA 1 μg/ml), Probe mixture was denatured for 10 minutes in 70° C. water bath and incubated for 1 hour at 37° C., before placing on a prewarmed (37° C.) slide, which was previously denatured in 70% formamide/2×SSC at 70° C., and dehydrated in ethanol series, chilled to 4° C.

Slides were incubated for 16 hours at 37° C. in a humidified chamber. Slides were washed in 50% formamide/2×SSC for 10 minutes at 41° C. and 2×SSC for 7 minutes at 37° C. Hybridization probe was detected by incubation of the slides with FITC-Avidin (ONCOR, Gaithersburg, Md.), according to the manufacturer protocol. Chromosomes were counterstained with propridium iodine suspended in mounting medium. Slides were visualized using a Leitz ORTHOPLAN 2-epifluorescence microscope and five computer images were take using Imagenetics Computer and MacIntosh printer. hMYH maps to the short arm of chromosome 1, between p32.1 and p34.3.

Once a sequence has been mapped to a precise chromosomal location, the physical position of the sequence on the chromosome can be correlated with genetic map data. Such data are found, for example, in V. McKusick, Meadelian Inheritance in Man (publicly available on line via computer). The relationship between genes and diseases that have been mapped to the same chromosomal region are then identified through linkage analysis (Co-Inheritance of Physically Adjacent Genes).

The polypeptides, their fragments or other derivatives, or analogs thereof, or cells expressing them can be used as an immunogen to produce antibodies thereto. These antibodies can be, for example, polyclonal or monoclonal antibodies. The present invention also includes chimeric, single chain, and humanized antibodies, as well as Fab fragments, or the product of an Fab expression library. Various procedures known in the art may be used for the production of such antibodies and fragments.

Antibodies generated against the polypeptides corresponding to a sequence of the present invention can be obtained by direct injection of the polypeptides into an animal or by administering the polypeptides to an animal, preferably a nonhuman. The antibody so obtained will then bind the polypeptides itself. In this manner, even a sequence encoding only a fragment of the polypeptides can be used to generate antibodies binding the whole native polypeptides. Such antibodies can then be used to isolate the polypeptide from tissue expressing that polypeptide.

For preparation of monoclonal antibodies, any technique which provides antibodies produced by continuous cell line cultures can be used. Examples include the hybridoma technique (Kohler and Milstein, 1975, Nature, 256:495-497), the trioma technique, the human B-cell hybridoma technique (Kozbor et al., 1983, Immunology Today 4:72), and the EBV-hybridoma technique to produce human monoclonal antibodies (Cole, et al., 1985, in Monoclonal Antibodies and Cancer Therapy, Alan R. Liss, Inc., pp. 77-96).

Techniques described for the production of single chain antibodies (U.S. Pat. No. 4,946,778) can be adapted to produce single chain antibodies to immunogenic polypeptide products of this invention. Also, transgenic mice may be used to express humanized antibodies to immunogenic polypeptide products of this invention.

The present invention will be further described with reference to the following examples; however, it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to such examples. All parts or amounts, unless otherwise specified, are by weight.

In order to facilitate understanding of the following examples certain frequently occurring methods and/or terms will be described.

“Plasmids” ate designated by a lower case p preceded and/or followed by capital letters and/or numbers. The starting plasmids herein are either commercially available, publicly available on an unrestricted basis, or can be constructed from available plasmids in accord with published procedures. In addition, equivalent plasmids to those described are known in the art and will be apparent to the ordinarily skilled artisan.

“Digestion” of DNA refers to catalytic cleavage of the DNA with a restriction enzyme that acts only at certain sequences in the DNA. The various restriction enzymes used herein are commercially available and their reaction conditions, cofactors and other requirements were used as would be known to the ordinarily skilled artisan. For analytical purposes, typically 1 μg of plasmid or DNA fragment is used with about 2 units of enzyme in about 20 μl of buffer solution. For the purpose of isolating DNA fragments for plasmid construction, typically 5 to 50 μg of DNA are digested with 20 to 250 units of enzyme in a larger volume. Appropriate buffers and substrate amounts for particular restriction enzymes are specified by the manufacturer. Incubation times of about 1 hour at 37° C. are ordinarily used, but may vary in accordance with the supplier's instructions. After digestion the reaction is electrophoresed directly on a polyacrylamide gel to isolate the desired fragment.

Size separation of the cleaved fragments is performed using 8 percent polyacrylamide gel described by Goeddel, D. et al., Nucleic Acids Res., 8:4057 (1980).

“Oligonucleotides” refers to either a single stranded polydeoxynucleotide or two complementary polydeoxynucleotide strands which may be chemically synthesized. Such synthetic oligonucleotides have no 5′ phosphate and thus will not ligate to another oligonucleotide without adding a phosphate with an ATP in the presence or a kinase. A synthetic oligonucleotide will ligate to a fragment that has not been dephosphorylated.

“Ligation” refers to the process of forming phosphodiester bonds between two double stranded nucleic acid fragments (Maniatis, T., et al., Id., p. 146). Unless otherwise provided, ligation may be accomplished using known buffers and conditions with 10 units of T4 DNA ligase (“ligase”) per 0.5 μg of approximately equimolar amounts of the DNA fragments to be ligated.

Unless otherwise stated, transformation was performed as described in the method of Graham, F. and Van der Eb, A., Virology, 52:456-457 (1973).

EXAMPLE 1 Bacterial Expression and Purification of hMYH

The DNA sequence encoding hMYH is initially amplified using PCR oligonucleotide primers corresponding to the 5′ sequences of the processed hMYH protein (minus the signal peptide sequence) and the vector sequences 3′ to the hMYH gene. Additional nucleotides corresponding to hMYH were added to the 5′ and 3′ sequences respectively. The 5′ oligonucleotide primer has the sequence 5′ CGCGGATCCGCCATCATGACACCGCTCGTCTCC 3′ (SEQ ID NO:3) contains a BamHI restriction enzyme site followed by 18 nucleotides of hMYH coding sequence starting from the presumed terminal amino acid of the processed protein codon. The 3′ sequence 5′ GCGTCTAGATCACTGGGCTGCACTGTTG 3′ (SEQ ID NO:4) contains complementary sequences to XbaI site and is followed by 19 nucleotides of hMYH. The restriction enzyme sites correspond to the restriction enzyme sites on the bacterial expression vector pQE-9 (Qiagen, Inc. 9259 Eton Avenue, Chatsworth, Calif., 91311)). pQE-9 encodes antibiotic resistance (Amp( ), a bacterial origin of replication (ori), an IPTG-regulatable promoter operator (P/O), a ribosome binding site (RBS), a 6-His tag and restriction enzyme sites. pQE-9 then is digested with BamHI and XbaI. The amplified sequences are ligated into pQE-9 and were inserted in frame with the sequence encoding for the histidine tag and the RSB. The ligation mixture is then used to transform E. coli strain M15/rep4 (Qiagen, Inc.) by the procedure described in Sambrook, J. et al., Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual, Cold Spring Laboratory Press, (1989). M15/rep4 contains multiple copies of the plasmid pREP4, which expresses the lacI repressor and also confers kanamycin resistance (Kan). Transformants are identified by their ability to grow on LB plates and ampicillin/kanamycin resistant colonies were selected. Plasmid DNA was isolated and confirmed by restriction analysis. Clones containing the desired constructs are grown overnight (O/N) in liquid culture in LB media supplemented with both Amp (100 μg/m) and Kan (25 μg/ml). The O/N culture is used to inoculate a large culture at a ratio of 1:100 to 1:250. The cells are grown to an optical density 600 (O.D.₆₀₀) of between 0.4 and 0.6. IPTG (“Isopropyl-B-D-thiogalacto pyranoside”) is then added to a final concentration of 1 mM. IPTG induces by inactivating the lacI repressor, clearing the P/O leading to increased gene expression. Cells are grown an extra 3 to 4 hours Cells are then harvested by centrifugation. The cell pellet is solubilized in the chaotropic agent 6 Molar Guanidine HCl. After clarification, solubilized hMYH is purified from this solution by chromatography on a Nickel-Chelate column under conditions that allow, for tight binding by proteins containing the 6-His (histidine) tag (Hochuli, E. et al., J. Chromatography 411:177-184 (1984)). hMYH is eluted from the column in 6 molar guanidine HCl pH 5.0 and for the purpose of renaturation adjusted to 3 molar guanidine HCl, 100 mM sodium phosphate, 10 mmolar glutathione (reduced) and 2 mmolar glutathione (oxidized). After incubation in this solution for 12 hours the protein was dialyzed to 10 mmolar sodium phosphate.

EXAMPLE 2 Cloning and Expression of hMYH Using the Baculovirus Expression System

The DNA sequence encoding the full length hMYH protein was amplified using PCR oilgonucleutide primers corresponding to the 5′ and 3′ sequences of the gene.

The 5′ primer has the sequence 5′ CGCGGATCCCGCAATCATGACACCGCTCGTCTCC 3′ (SEQ ID NO:5) and contains a BamHI restriction enzyme site (in bold) followed by 18 nucleotides resembling an efficient signal for the initiation of translation in eucaryotic cells (Kozak, M., J. Mol. Biol., 196:947-950 (1987) which is just behind the first 6 nucleotides of the hMYH gene (the initiation codon for translation “ATG” is underlined).

The 3′ primer has the sequence 5′ GCGTCTAGATCACTGGGCTGCATGTTG 3′ (SEQ ID NO:6) and contains the cleavage site for the restriction endonuclease XbaI and a number of nucleotides complementary to the 3′ non-translated sequence of the hMYH gene sufficient for stable hybridization. The amplified sequences were isolated from a 1% agarose gel using a commercially available kit (“Geneclean,” BIO 101 Inc., La Jolla, Calif.). The fragment was then digested with the endonucleases BamHI and XbaI and then purified again on a 1% agarose gel. This fragment is designated F2.

The vector pA2 (modification of pVL941 vector, discussed below) is used for the expression of the hMYH protein using the baculovirus expression system (for review see: Summers, M. D. and Smith, G. E. 1987, A manual of methods for baculovirus vectors and insect cell culture procedures, Texas Agricultural Experimental Station Bulletin No. 1555). This expression vector contains the strong polyhedrin promoter of the Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus (AcMNPV) followed by the recognition sites for the restriction endonucleases BamHI and XbaI. The polyadenylation site of the simian virus SV40 is used for efficient polyadenylation. For an easy selection of recombinant virus the beta-galactosidase gene from E. coli is inserted in the same orientation as the polyhedrin promoter followed by the polyadenylation signal of the polyhedrin gene. The polyhedrin sequences are flanked at both sides by viral sequences for the cell-mediated homologous recombination of co-transfected wild-type viral DNA. Many other baculovirus vendors could be used in place of pA2 such as pAc373 pVL941, pRG1 and pAcLM1 (Luckow, V. A. and Summers, M. D., Virology, 170:31-39).

The plasmid is digested with the restriction enzymes BamHI and XbaI and then dephosphorylated using calf intestinal phosphatase by procedures known in the art. The DNA is then isolated from a I% agarose gal using the commercially available kit (“Geneclean” BIO 101 Inc., La Jolla, Calif.). This vector DNA is designated V2.

Fragment F2 and the dephosphorylated plasmid V2 were ligated with T4 DNA ligase. E. coli HB 101 cells is then transformed and bacteria identified that contained the plasmid (pBachMYH) with the hMYH gene using the enzymes BamHI and XbaI. The sequence of the cloned fragment is confirmed by DNA sequencing.

5 μg of the plasmid pBachMYH is co-transfected with 1.0 μg of a commercially available linearized baculovirus (“BaculoGold™ baculovirus DNA”, Pharmingen, San Diego, Calif.) using the lipofection method (Felgner et al. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 84:7413-7417 (1987)).

1 μg of BaculoGold™ virus DNA and 5 μg of the plasmid pBachMYH are mixed in a sterile well of a microtiter plate containing 50 μl of serum free Grace's medium (Life Technologies Inc., Gaithersburg, Md.). Afterwards 10 μl Lipofectin plus 90 μl Grace's medium are added, mixed and incubated for 15 minutes at room temperature. Then the transfection mixture is added drop-wise to the Sf9 insect cells (ATCC CRL 1711) seeded in a 35 mm tissue culture plate with 1 ml Grace's medium without serum. The plate is rocked back and forth to mix the newly added solution. The plate is then incubated for 5 hours at 27° C. After 5 hours the transfection solution is removed from the plate and 1 ml of Grace's insect medium supplemented with 10% fetal calf serum is added. The plate is put back into an incubator and cultivation continued at 27° C for four days.

After four days the supernatant is collected and plaque assay performed similar as described by Summers and Smith (supra). As a modification an agarose gel with “Blue Gal” (Life Technologies Inc., Gaithersburg) is used which allows an easy isolation of blue stained plaques. (A detailed description of a “plaque assay” can also be found in the user's guide for insect cell culture and baculovirology distributed by Life Technologies Inc., Gaithersburg, page 9-10).

Four days after the serial dilution, the virus is added to the cells and blue stained plaques are picked with the tip of an Eppendorf pipette. The agar containing the recombinant viruses is then resuspended in an Eppendorf tube containing 200 μl of Grace's medium. The agar is removed by a brief centrifugation and the supernatant containing the recombinant baculovirus is used to infect Sf9 cells seeded in 35 mm dishes. Four days later the supernatants of these culture dishes are harvested and then stored at 4° C.

Sf9 cells are grown in Grace's medium supplemented with 10% heat-inactivated FBS. The cells are infected with the recombinant baculovirus V-hMYH at a multiplicity of infection (MOI) of 2. Six hours later the medium is removed and replaced with SF900 II medium minus methionine and cysteine (Life Technologies Inc., Gaithersburg). 42 hours later 5 μCi of ³⁵S-methionine and 5 μCi ³⁵S cysteine (Amersham) are added. The cells are further incubated for 16 hours before they are harvested by centrifugation and the labelled proteins visualized by SDS-PAGE and autoradiography.

EXAMPLE 3 Expression of Recombinant hMYH in COS Cells

The expression of plasmid, hMYH HA is derived from a vector pcDNAL/Amp (Invitrogen) containing: 1) SV40 origin of replication, 2) ampicillin resistance gene, 3) E. coli replication origin, 4) CMV promoter followed by a polylinker region, an SV40 intron and polyadenylation site. A DNA fragment encoding the entire hMYH precursor and a HA tag fused in frame to it, 3′ end as clone in the polylinker region of the vector, therefore, the recombinant protein expression is directed under the CMV promoter. The HA tag corresponds to an epitope derived from the influenza hemaglutinin protein as previously described I. Wilson, H. Niman, R. Heighten, A Cherenson. M. Conrolly, and R. Lerre, 1984, Cell 37:767, (1984)). The infusion of HA tag to the target protein allows easy detector, of the recombinant protein with an antibody that recognizes HA epitope.

The plasmid construction strategy is described as follows:

The DNA sequence encoding hMYH is constructed by PCR using two primers: the 5′ primer 5′-CGCGGATCCGCCATCATGACACCGCTCGTCTCC-3′ (SEQ ID NO:7) contains a BiamHI site followed by 18 nucleotides of hMYH coding sequence staining from the initiation codon; the 3′ sequence 5′-GCGCTCGAGCTGGGCTGCACTGTGAGG (SEQ ID NO:8) contains complementary sequences to XhoI site, translation stop codon, HA tag and the last 19. nucleotides of the hMYH coding sequence (not including the stop codon). Therefore, the PCR product contains a BamHI site, hMYH coding sequence and an XhoI site. The PCR amplified DNA fragment and the vector, pcDNAI/Amp (comprising an HA tag at the 3′ end), are digested with BamHI and XhoI restriction enzyme and ligated. The ligation mixture is transformed into E. coli strain SURE (available from Stratagene Cloning Systems, La Jolla the transformed culture is plated on ampicillin media plates and resistant colonies are selected. Plasmid DNA is isolated from transformants and examined by restricting analysis for the presence of the correct fragrant. For expression of the recombinant hMYH, COS cells are transfected with toe expression vector by DEAE-DEXTRAN method (J. Sambrook, E. Fritsch, T. Maniatis, Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual, Cold Spring Laboratory Pres, (1989)). The expression of the hMYH HA protein is detected by radiolabelling and immunoprecipitatlon method (E. Harlow, D. Lane, Antibodies: A Laboratory Manual, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, (1988). Cells are labelled for 8 hours with ³⁵S-cysteine two days post transfection. Culture media is then collected and cells lysed with detergent (RIPA buffer (150 mM NACl, 0.1% SDS, 1% NP-40, 0.5% DOC. 50 mM Tris, pH 7.5) (Wilson, I. et al., Id. 37:767 (1984)). Both cell lysate and culture media are precipitated with an HA specicic monoclonal antibody. Proteins precipitated are analyzed on 15% SDS-PAGE gels.

EXAMPLE 4 Expression via Gene Therapy

Fibroblasts are obtained from a subject by skin biopsy. The resulting tissue is placed in tissue-culture medium and separated into small pieces. Small chunks of the tissue are placed on a wet surface of a tissue culture flask, approximately ten pieces are placed in each flask. The flask is turned upside down, closed tight and left at room temperature over night. After 24 hours at room temperature, the flask is inverted and the chunks of tissue remain fixed to the bottom of the flask and fresh media (e.g., Ham's F12 media, with 10% FBS, penicillin and streptomycin, is added. This is then incubated at 37° C. for approximately one week. At this time, fresh media is added and subsequently changed every several days. After an additional two weeks in culture, a monolayer of fibroblasts emerge. The monolayer is trypsinized and scaled into larger flasks.

pMV-7 (Kirschmeier, P. T. et al, DNA, 7:219-25 (1988) flanked by the long terminal repeats of the Moloney murine sarcoma virus, is digested with EcoRI and HindIII and subsequently treated with calf intestinal phosphatase. The linear vector is fractionated on agarose gel and purified, using glass beads.

The cDNA encoding a polypeptide of the present invention is amplified using PCR primers which correspond to the 5′ and 3′ end sequences respectively. The 5′ primer containing an EcoRI site and the 3′ primer further includes a HindIII site. Equal quantities of the Moloney murine sarcoma virus linear backbone and the amplified EcoRI and HindIII fragment are added together, in the presence of T4 DNA ligase. The resulting mixture is maintained under conditions appropriate for ligation of the two fragments. The ligation mixture is used to transform bacteria HB101, which are then plated onto agar-containing kanamycin for the purpose of confirming that the vector had the gene of interest properly inserted.

The amphotropic pA317 or GP+am12 packaging cells are grown in tissue culture to confluent density in Dulbecco's Modified Eagles Medium (DMEM) with 10% calf serum (CS), penicillin and streptomycin. The MSV vector containing the gene is then added to the media and the packaging cells are transduced with the vector. The packaging calls now produce infectious viral particles containing the gene (the packaging cells are now referred to as producer cells).

Fresh media is added to the transduced producer cells, and subsequently, the media is harvested from a 10 cm plate of confluent producer cells. The spent media, containing the infectious viral particles, is filtered through a miltipore filter to remove detached producer cells and this media is then used to infect fibroblast cells. Media is removed from a sub-confluent plate of fibroblasts and quickly replaced with the media front the producer cells. This media is removed and replaced with fresh media. If the titer of virus is high, then virtually all fibroblasts will be infected and no selection is required. If the titer is very low, then it is necessary to use a retroviral vector that has a selectable marker, such as neo or his.

The engineered fibroblasts are then injected into the host, either alone or after having been grown to confluence on cytodex 3 microcarrier beads. The fibroblasts now produce the protein product.

Numerous modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings and, therefore, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as particularly described. 

1. A method for determining whether a human subject harbors a mutation in an hMYH gene of the human subject that decreases an activity of the encoded hMYH protein, said method comprising: providing an hMYH-encoding nucleotide sequence of the human subject; and determining the presence or absence of a difference in a coding region in said hMYH-encoding nucleotide sequence, relative to SEQ ID NO:1, which results in decreased binding of the encoded hMYH protein to a substrate containing an A/GO mispair, or decreased glycosylase activity of the encoded hMYH protein on the mispaired adenosine in an A/GO mispair in a substrate containing an A/GO mispair.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein said mutation is a substitution, a deletion, or an insertion.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein said mutation results in a frame shift in, or a truncation of, the coding region.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein said hMYH-encoding nucleotide sequence is a complementary DNA sequence.
 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of providing the hMYH-encoding nucleotide sequence comprises: obtaining a sample from said patient; isolating an hMYH-encoding nucleic acid from said sample; and determining the nucleotide sequence of said hMYH-encoding nucleic acid.
 6. The method of claim 5, wherein said step of determining the nucleotide sequence of said hMYH-encoding nucleic acid is by DNA sequencing.
 7. The method of claim 5, further comprising amplifying a portion of said hMYH-encoding nucleic acid and determining the nucleotide sequence of the amplified nucleic acid.
 8. The method of claim 5 wherein said sample is a blood sample, a urine sample, a saliva sample, a tissue biopsy sample, or an autopsy material sample.
 9. The method of claim 8 wherein said sample is a blood sample.
 10. A method for determining whether a human subject harbors a mutation in an hMYH gene of the human subject that decreases an activity of the encoded hMYH protein, said method comprising: isolating an hMYH-encoding nucleic acid from a sample obtained from the human subject; and determining the presence or absence of a mutation in a coding region in said hMYH-encoding nucleic acid, relative to SEQ ID NO:1, which results in decreased binding of the encoded hMYH protein to a substrate containing an A/GO mispair, or decreased glycosylase activity of the encoded hMYH protein on the mispaired adenosine in an A/GO mispair in a substrate containing an A/GO mispair.
 11. The method of claim 10 wherein said mutation is a substitution, a deletion, or an insertion.
 12. The method of claim 10 wherein said mutation results in a frame shift in, or a truncation of, the coding region.
 13. The method of claim 10 wherein said hMYH-encoding nucleic acid is a complementary DNA.
 14. The method of claim 10 wherein said hMYH-encoding nucleic acid is a genomic DNA.
 15. The method of claim 10 wherein the step of determining the presence or absence of a mutation comprises amplifying said coding region in said hMYH-encoding nucleic acid.
 16. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of determining the presence or absence of a mutation comprises detecting a change in the length of the amplified coding region.
 17. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of determining the presence or absence of a mutation comprises nucleic acid hybridization.
 18. The method of claim 10 further comprising deducing the amino acid sequence encoded by the isolated hMYH-encoding nucleic acid; and identifying a difference in the deduced amino acid sequence, relative to SEQ ID NO:2.
 19. A method for determining whether a human subject harbors a mutation in an hMYH gene of the human subject that decreases an activity of the encoded hMYH protein, said method comprising: Providing an amino acid sequence of an hMYH polypeptide of the human subject; and determining the presence or absence of a difference in said amino acid sequence, relative to SEQ ID NO:2, which results in decreased binding of the encoded hMYH protein to a substrate containing an A/GO mispair or decreased glycosylase activity of the encoded hMYH protein on the mispaired adenosine in an A/GO mispair in a substrate containing an A/GO mispair.
 20. The method of claim 19, wherein said difference in said hMYH polypeptide sequence is a substitution, insertion, deletion or truncation. 